Romney’s re-emergence is likely to be met by a mixed response from Republicans. Yes, many respect him as a decent man who has done a lot of good things in his life. But just as many are still angry at him for losing. They view 2012 as a winnable race, had Romney run a sharper, more creative, more aggressive campaign. Of course, Romney and his aides worked hard, but they were outplayed on many fronts by an Obama campaign that knew how to win.

A lot of the criticism directed at Romney is valid. He and his top advisers did make a lot of mistakes, big and small. But for a moment, perhaps, Republicans should appreciate one thing about Mitt Romney. After he lost, he has not disgraced himself and his party. And that is a lot more than can be said of the previous Republican presidential campaign. …

Romney lost and kept his mouth shut for a respectable period of time. His team hasn’t engaged in unseemly finger-pointing. And by staying out of the picture, he has allowed his party to begin the job of fixing its problems. Even in a bad situation, that’s still something to be thankful for.